Latest Tweets

Daily Business Report — Jan. 6, 2011

Julie Meier Wright to Retire from EDC

Julie Meier Wright

Julie Meier Wright, president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. and a major player in regional and state economic initiatives for the past several years, announced her intention to retire from the agency in June. Wright will remain as a consultant to the EDC for the balance of the year.Wright joined EDC in August 1997. The agency, under her leadership, played a pivotal role in the passage of TransNet, the $14 billion transportation measure, and led the region’s successful efforts to retain and grow its military presence in the most recent round of base closures. During her tenure, the organization won national and international awards from the U.S. Department of Commerce and CoreNet, an international organization of corporate real estate and site selection executives.

“Julie has done a spectacular job leading what is considered one of the best economic development organizations in the country,” said EDC Chairman Debbie Reed, executive vice president of Sempra Energy. “Our goal now is to ensure a smooth transition, hiring a new CEO that will take EDC to even greater levels, focusing on our goals of job growth and competitiveness.”

Before coming to San Diego, Wright was California’s first Secretary of Trade and Commerce and a member of Gov. Pete Wilson’s Cabinet from 1991 to 1997. Before that she spent 25 years in executive marketing and public affairs positions in the private sector, including 14 years with TRW Inc., which is now a part of Northrop Grumman.

The state agency she headed is credited with creating or retaining more than 100,000 jobs in California between 1994 and 1998 and expanding the state’s international influence through the opening of five new overseas offices.

Wright has received several leadership awards including Director of the Year for Not-for-Profit Boards and Director of the Year for Companies in Transition by the Corporate Directors Forum; Junior Achievement’s San Diego Hall of Fame Lifetime Laureate Award. During her tenure as Secretary of Trade and Commerce, Wright was named California Leader of the Year by Leadership California and the nation’s Outstanding Secretary of Commerce by the Biotechnology Industry Organization.

Real Estate Transactions

• Cuadrado Enterprises LLC has purchased two office condominiums in Carlsbad for $834,000. The condos, located at 5927 Balfour Court, Units 104 and 105, will be owner occupied by an advertising agency. Cuadrado was represented by Robert Kerr of NAI San Diego. Fullerton Community Bank, the seller, was represented by Robert Willingham and James Karlousky of Coldwell Banker Commercial.

• General Ledger Resources, a finance and accounting firm, has relocated its headquarters to the Sabre Corporation Center at 13280 Creekside Drive, Suite 225, in Rancho Bernardo under a seven-year lease valued in excess of $800,000. The company’s previous space was at 4747 Viewridge Ave. in San Diego. Jeff Saywitz, senior vice president of The Saywitz Co., represented General Ledger Resources. Jay Alexander and Ryan Grove of Jones Lange LaSalle represented the landlord, Kilroy Realty Corp.

• San Diego’s domusstudio architecture has been selected for several San Diego Unified School District improvement projects funded in part by Proposition S. The scope of the work by the architecture firm ranges by project and spans three local schools. At Audubon Elementary School in Southeast San Diego, the firm is conducting a modernization of the 55-year-old campus. Drawings by domusstudio are in progress for the School of Creative and Performing Arts, where a College, Career & Technical Education project for a remodeled television studio/classroom will be constructed. University City High School will see a major campus modernization plan by the firm as well as upgrades to the athletic facilities.

Roberto Alomar Receives Baseball Hall of Fame Nod

Former Padres second baseman Roberto Alomar has been elected to the class of 2011 of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Alomar, who was named on 90 percent of the ballots cast, is joined by right-handed pitcher Bert Blyleven. He received 523 votes, the third highest total in Hall of Fame voting history. Originally signed by San Diego as an undrafted free agent in 1985, Alomar spent the first three seasons of his 17-year Hall of Fame career in a Padres uniform. Beginning with his Major League debut on April 22, 1988, he hit .283 (497-for-1754) with 78 doubles, 12 triples, 22 home runs, 157 RBI, 246 runs scored and 90 stolen bases over the 1988-90 campaigns with San Diego. He ranks second among the Padres all-time second basemen in games, hits, doubles, triples, home runs and runs scored.

Southwestern Student Gets Regional College Post

Manuel R. Lopez Jr., president of the Southwestern College Associated Student Organization, has been elected lieutenant governor of the Student Senate for the California Community College’s (SSCCC) Region X. He is the first to serve in this position for the San Diego region. Representing all community college students in California, the SSCCC is divided into 10 regions. Lopez will serve Region X, which governs the nine community colleges in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Lopez serves as student trustee on the Southwestern College Governing Board. He will be transferring to Alliant University as an international relations major after graduating from Southwestern College in May.

Small Business Workshops

SCORE San Diego has scheduled January workshops to help small business owners and those interested in starting a small business. Fees range from $29 to $109. For more information, call (619) 557-7272. To register for a workshop online, visit scoresandiego.org.

• Jan. 27 – Financial Statements: What They Mean, How to Use Them – 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at National University – Carlsbad (705 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad 92011; pre-paid registration $29, $39 at the door).

• Jan. 28 – Marketing and Contracting with State and Local Governments – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at National University – Kearny Mesa (9388 Lightwave Ave., San Diego 92123; pre-paid registration $69, $79 at the door).

Subscribe to Daily Business Report

Voice Your Opinion

We Want Your Opinions on San Diego’s Big Issues
In the coming months, Probosky Research (one of California’s leading opinion research firms) will continue its partnership with SD METRO to survey San Diego residents about topics of interest to our readers. We’d like to throw open the door for suggestions for topics. What do you want to know? What do you think you know, but aren’t sure? What are you certain you know, but want to prove it beyond doubt? Ideally, we’d like to see questions that have to do with public policy.
Some areas may include Mayor Filner’s first 100 days job performance, should the city be responsible for economic growth and the creation of new jobs, how important are infrastructure improvements to our daily lives (streets and bridges, etc.), how important is water independence, how satisfied are residents with public transit or how do city residents value Balboa Park and other open spaces? Do you believe the City Council should revive the Plaza de Panama plan for Balboa Park?
You can email Probolsky Research directly with your ideas: info@probolskyresearch.com